Welcome to the Mystery
by sabby56
Summary: Socko looked at Spencer and Spencer in return looked at Socko. "Set your mind free man." My version of why Spencer dropped out of college.


**Authors note: 1st & foremost I want to thank everybody who read & reviewed my previous iCarly stories. I was quite unsure on how I would do considering I'm new to the fandom but you all put that to rest with your awesome reviews & fav's.**

**2nd In no way am I promoting the use of drugs, if that's what you choose to do then so be it. And I know in the show it is said that Spencer only lasted 3 days in college but I expanded the time to make it more realistic for the story. Oh & I have absolutely no idea what their father's name is so I just gave him one of my own. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy =)**

**Song 'Welcome to the Mystery' belongs to the Plain White T's.**

* * *

[ Welcome to Mystery]

_This is a place where your mind can escape. All the problems today can go far, far away. This is a time with no history. Welcome to mystery…_

* * *

_September 25, 1999_

"Alright son. Do your best and I'll see you Thanksgiving." One Steven Shay said sternly, while patting his oldest on the back.

Spencer Shay looked up to the six flights of brown brick that was his new home. He couldn't believe he was finally here embarking on his new life. Already was he one day and eight years closer to becoming a lawyer. A dream he'd had since watching his first episode of L.A. Law. There was just something about forcing the truth out of somebody that captivated him.

"Thanks dad." Spencer said going to pick up his bag when he felt tiny hands tugging on his pants leg. Looking down he saw a head of dark hair matching his own, big watery eyes looked back up at him.

"You don't have to go! Tell him daddy," she looked to the older Shay standing stiffly beside the family's station wagon. "Tell him he doesn't have to go!"

Spencer couldn't help but feel a little sorry for his baby sis. She was after all losing her best friend. Due to their father's job they moved around so much it was hard to make any real friends their own age. "Hey kiddo, " Spencer lifted her into his arms, "I thought we talked about this. I have to do this it'll…"

"Make you happy." Carly cried, "I know but I still don't want you to go. I'm going to miss you too much."

"I know and I'm gonna miss you too but look at it this way. I'll be home in no time and you can tell me all about the exciting adventures you and dad went on. We'll have so much to talk about when I get back that you'll be begging me to go away so we can do it all over again."

"That's not true. I'll never want you to go away."

Spencer smiled, Carly was too adorable for her own good. "Just remember that I love ya' kiddo. We'll see each other soon, okay?"

"Okay." Carly said, still teary eyes but somewhat calm now as she gave Spencer one last kiss on the cheek before he set her down.

With his bag now on his back he took the first step towards his future. He was ready.

* * *

_1 month later …_

Spencer pulled at his hair. His foot tapped anxiously on the tile floor as he tried to keep up with the teacher. He wrote and wrote until his fingers were cramping. If he missed a word of what his professor was saying, he learned the first week not to ask for a repeat. There was no such thing in college either you caught it or you didn't. So from there he just started writing key words.

Lately he hadn't been getting a lot of sleep. One couldn't afford to sleep when there was studying to be done. So the bags under his eyes had become somewhat of a permanent feature on his face.

The teacher was closing up on her lecture and Spencer couldn't be more relieved. His stomach hurt but he didn't have time to stop for food, he had class in ten minutes and the building was on the other side of campus.

But this was what he wanted. He worked too hard to get into this school so he wasn't going to slack off. No matter how stressed or how hungry he got.

* * *

Around ten, after endless hours of school and his job on campus, did Spencer finally walk back into his dorm room to be greeted with the sight of his roommate and some girl doing _things _in bed.

"Just great", Spencer breathed only loud enough for him to hear. He's not even sure that his roommate noticed his entrance.

Since his room was out of question the community room would just have to do but once he got there he found that it was already occupied by a bunch of people watching TV.

But he had to study, he couldn't go a day without studying or doing his homework. He could not get left behind. His father didn't accept excuses when it came to grades in school and for as long as Spencer could remember he never gave him a reason to. College was no exemption. So turning from the room full room of howling boys he made for the campus library.

It should be open for another hour or so and if he ran he could cut the time in half and have even more time to review.

A breath Spencer didn't know he was holding escaped his lips as he finally closed his book. Assistance in the library were closing up shop as it was just a little after eleven but allowed him to stay until they left knowing that he really needed the time. And since he was in here every day not bothering anyone they didn't mind.

He was putting his last book into his bag when he saw a shadow standing over his table. Looking up he noticed the familiar face but never talking to anybody, didn't know his name.

"Spencer Shay right?"

Nodding, Spencer pushed his chair back making to stand up and leave. He didn't have time to talk much less a social life.

"Hey I hear you're like the smartest guy on campus." The guy said, keeping in step with Spencer as he made his way up the aisle and closer to the door.

"I wouldn't say that."

"But it's got to be true though right? I come in here sometimes and every time I do you're here studying."

"Well that's what libraries are made for. Studying." Spencer deadpanned, still trying to get away.

"Yeah … studying. Hey do you think maybe we could hang sometimes. I'm having a real problem with my foreign language, you think you could help me?"

"Sorry cant." Spencer said willing to leave it at that now that he'd made it to the front doors. Great it was raining. He should've kept his umbrella in his book bag. Stupid. Stupid.

"Hey are you okay?"

Spencer banged his head against the glass doors absentmindedly holingd the straps to his book bag tighter as he talked to himself. He was just going to have to brave the rain, he couldn't stay here forever. He checked his watch, it was almost a quarter pass. He was positive his roommate was done with his friend now so he could study some more then maybe when he felt satisfied enough he could sneak in a quick nap.

Yeah, that ought to work. Mind made up Spencer went to open the door.

"I can give you a ride if you want."

* * *

"Thanks for giving me a ride." Spencer said, hugging his book bag to his front.

"Hey it no problem." The mysterious guy said, "Anything for a friend."

Friend? Spencer barely knew the guy, "but-"

"Oh yeah!" The guy realized taking one had off the wheel and sticking it in Spencer direction. "Names Evan Sockston. But everyone calls me Socko."

Spencer shook his hand quickly before placing it back at his side, "Socko?"

"Yeah Socko." He grinned before lifting his knee and pulling up his pants leg, "check 'em."

The socks where long tube socks with stripes lining its length and flashing blue birds. They were like nothing Spencer had ever seen. They were so unique and out of the ordinary.

"You like?"

"They're …" what was the word he was looking for? "…different."

"I know right!" Socko enthused. "I'm telling you man if this whole college thing doesn't work out I'm totally going into business making these babies I'll be rolling in dough in no time."

"Yeah, sure." Spencer said, focusing his eyes on the window and not on the strange man beside him. Didn't this … Socko person know that there was no such thing as a future for people like himself without college. There was no such thing as a millionaire sock maker.

"Hey you know what man? I'm going to get you a pair that way you and I can be exclusive. Once people see your socks man it's like your popularity is going to sky rocket."

"Um, no thanks."

"Yeah." Socko shook his head, "trust me man." He said making a quick U turn turning on a different street.

"Whoa, no!" Spencer looked out the back window seeing his dorm fading into the distance, "my room is the other way!"

"I know but I'm gonna get you these socks. Then I'll take you home."

"No!"

"Yeah man, don't worry everything is going to be fine."

* * *

"I still don't see why I had to come inside for you to get me a pair of socks."

"Because dude, variety is the spice of life." Socko opened his drawer pulling out what looked like 20 pairs of socks all different colors and themes. "Choose man."

"Um I guess I'll take the ones with the rainbows on them." Not really caring, just wanting to get out there. Already he'd wasted twenty minutes of studying.

"Good choice my friend." Socko said sitting on his bed leaning back against the wall.

"Whoa, no! No! What are you doing you said I'd get the socks and we'd leave."

"Chill out dude. You're so high wired you ever take a break to y'know smell the flowers and stuff…?"

"NO!" Spencer yelled, partially because he was allergic but this Socko guy didn't need to know that. "Now get up and take me home." If he knew where he was he would've just left but he had no clue. "NOW!"

"_Dude _take a squat." He patted the bing bag at the foot of his bed. "C'mon for a little while and I'll take you home. Swear."

Standing there for what felt like hours but where only minutes Spencer finally complied, groaning, "But only for a while." He demanded. He looked at his watch once more giving his time here a ten minute time period. Reaching for his book bag he went to unzip it when Socko snatched it up.

"No way my friend this is a non study zone. It ruins the creative juices."

"Creative juices?" _Creative juices!_

"Yeah man," As if Socko knew what he was thinking. Reaching over to his bed side dresser he pulled the bottom drawer out and little baggie emerged with what looked like to Spencer old dead grass. He watched silently as Socko tore paper out of his note book to wrap the grass in, put it to his lips and light it.

He inhaled the white smoke and slowly it came out his nose, two more puffs and the process repeated itself.

Socko looked at Spencer and Spencer in return looked at Socko.

"Set your mind free man." Socko shook his dirty blond hair from his eyes as he pushed it into Spencer's hand.

Spencer had never done anything like this before. He'd heard about it even was warned numerous ties to stay away. And for the last eighteen years of his life he'd listened and was a good boy but the smell and just the way the atmosphere of the room was making him feel …

At first it was awful never having smoked before he didn't know how to handle it. He didn't know if he should blow it out or do the cool nose thing like Socko. He waited too long and started choking.

"Aw man, take it easy. Just … let it consume you then breath."

Spencer did as instructed or as best as he could. He let the smoke consume him, letting it travel up and up until it couldn't go any higher and finally he just let go.

Of the smoke

Of his worries

Of everything

He'd never felt better in his whole entire life. Everything thing just seemed so fresh and new. He was seeing colors he'd never knew existed and feeling things he'd never felt.

This had to be nirvana.

And he liked it, he never wanted to leave this place.

Dropping out of college seemed like the perfect conversation topic over Thanksgiving dinner.

* * *

**So did you like the thought of Spencer getting high, opening his mind to limitless possibilities. Ultimately molding him into the man he is today? **

**Do you think that actually happened? Sometimes when I watch the show I'm like, "yeah … somewhere along the lines poor little innocent Spencer was so high strung on the pressure from his father that he finally cracked and took some … stuff…. To get him to relax."**

**Not saying it was Socko that opened him up to that world but it was somebody …**

**Anyway,**

**Review please? =]**


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